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New Buildings

2/17/2021

2 Comments

 
Picture
Yesterday, the Marin IJ published an article highlighting something being considered by the Fairfax Town Council. HERE. 

One growing trend across the state of California, and, indeed, many places around the world is a move to require NEW buildings to be All-Electric. HERE. The idea is that, if we are, as a state, going to achieve our needed greenhouse gas reductions, we must stop making the problem worse by installing more and more new gas-burning buildings. 

More than 40 jurisdictions across the state, including Marin County, have adopted some form of electrification requirement. Most recently, San Francisco and Oakland passed all-electric requirements. 

The fact is, as Mayor Ackerman stated in the IJ, it saves money to build an all-electric new home. And, because the home will be built with much improved insulation relative to older homes in Marin, it will be less expensive to operate than a similar, multi-fuel new building. (HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE). 

There is the issue of PSPS events, and we are going to need to think about ways to provide energy storage capacity for these events, but new ideas are coming. 

It is time for Fairfax to take this important step. Thank you Fairfax Town Council!
2 Comments
Marc Vendetti
2/18/2021 09:10:30 am

This is doable, and we must do it. There are some issues to solve including the cost. Although new buildings will be built more efficiently, heating with electricity is still more expensive than gas. Locally-harvested solar is one solution. Neighborhood grids could support those who cannot for one reason or another have solar on their own roofs. And battery storage needs to be provided, whether from a neighborhood grid, a standalone stationary system per house or a Vehicle-2-Home system. Subsidies and tax incentives will be critical to make the switch.

Reply
Miriam Weinstein
3/7/2021 07:30:31 am

How about if we require electric heat, electric tankless water heaters, but still allow gas stoves? Oh, for a gas stove! Sorry about that. I've been cooking on electric for 25 years, and you know, it's awful.

Reply



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